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NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, Dec. 5, 2012) – Tonga's Police Commissioner Grant O'Fee today alleged that an individual identified as a Tonga Customs Officer used a credit card belonging to Milan Rindzak (35), whose remains were found on the drugs yacht 'JeReVe' that was discovered wrecked on the Luatafito Atoll in Vava'u, on November 7.

He claimed that the individual unsuccessfully attempted to use the credit card at the Westpac Bank, Neiafu, EFTPOS machine on November 10, three-days after Rindzak's badly decomposed body was found with over 200 kilograms of cocaine on the yacht.

It is alleged that the credit card was eaten up by the EFTPOS machine and that the customs officer came back later on November 12 to retrieve it. This aroused suspicion by bank officials and police were notified.

Commissioner O'Fee said the individual, who he did not identify, had not been arrested or charged at this stage...

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, Dec. 6, 2012) – At least 60 women die from cervical cancer every year in Fiji. This was revealed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday during their receipt of three diathermy units from AusAID at the Fiji Pharmaceutical Services warehouse in Suva.

As the number one cause of death for women in Fiji, 120 women develop cervical cancer every year while three to four new cases are reported monthly.

According to the head of the MOH Wellness Unit, Dr. Isimeli Tukana, an average of 450 cases of all cancer were reported annually from 2000 to 2011. He said this figure made cervical cancer the most common cancer among women — followed by breast cancer. Dr. Tukana said their fear now centered on the late presentation of cervical cancer because they could not do anything with it.

"We want women to come for screening regularly because the number of...

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Dec. 5, 2012) – The revised Companies Decree will be gazette on 1 January 2013 and companies in Fiji will be given a 3-month transitional period to comply with the new requirements.

Attorney General and Minister for Justice Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said there has been widespread consultation on the new Companies Decree and welcomed input from the stakeholders before the act is enforced.

Consultant Bruce Cowley, a partner at the international law firm MinterEllison who assisted in the drafting of the new law, today briefed lawyers, accountants, businessmen and other stakeholders on the main changes in the legislation.

All new companies in the New Year will be required to register through the new decree.

Sayed-Khaiyum said one of the fundamental changes will be to the fiduciary duties of director through the companies and this will bring it in step with the international...

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, Dec. 5, 2012) – A North Korean company that the United Nations says is a front for illegal arms shipping has reportedly been sourcing passports from small nations, including Kiribati and Seychelles.

The ABC's 7.30 has been shown evidence that the Pacific island nation of Kiribati and the Indian island nation of the Seychelles have both given passports to North Korean directors of a Hong Kong-based company.

Human rights activist Ken Kato says he's discovered documents in Hong Kong in the name of New East International Trading Limited.

He says the firm's two directors are named as Chol Han and Ju Ok Hui, and both identified as North Korean citizens.

"Both men belong to what's called North Korea's "second economic committee," which sells arms all over the world," he said...

Debt is the major challenge the hospital faces. It was stated that the hospital owes about $22 million to various vendors.

A debt with Perry Point, a pharmaceutical company, has had GMH Administrator Joseph Verga negotiating with the U.S. Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). Earlier this year, the vendor gave the hospital 60 days to pay off its $5 million debt or it would tap into the Medicaid funding the hospital receives.

Verga reported that DHSS agreed to assist but on certain conditions...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Dec. 5, 2012) – In Papua New Guinea, a major drugs-for-guns trade syndicate operating between Tari in the new Hela province and Daru in the Western province involving the use of light aircrafts was uncovered last Tuesday in Tari, Hela province.

Third level airliner Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) workers in Tari become suspicious when two youths fronted up in the morning with their bags to travel to Balimo in Western province.

Tari MAF port manager Mr. David Kelawi said the two youths were rough and hasty in the manner in which they tried to book their tickets.

The youths had 29 kilograms of homegrown and dried tobacco leaves packed inside a sports bag as their only luggage.

Mr. Kelawi and his security guard Mr. Henry Angu became suspicious of the two youths and opened the sports bag to see its contents.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 5, 2012) – Pacific nations have argued at a key meeting in Manila over how best to regulate devices that attract tuna amid growing concern over depleted stocks.

A call to extend an annual ban on fish aggregating devices, or FADs, to four months has been among the most contentious issues at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting.

An annual July to September ban on FADS is already in place in waters that account for half the world’s tuna catch.

A Palau fishing official who chairs the Parties to the Nauru Agreement, Nanette Malsol, says a four-month ban would hurt small Pacific nations the most.

She says they would oppose an extension of the so-called closed period unless the smaller nations were compensated.

Critics say fishing with FADs means juvenile fish are snared, as well as bycatch that includes...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 5, 2012) – Vanuatu’s Minister of Public Utilities, Harry Iauko, has signed a deed of release of one million vatu, or nearly US$11,000, to release the mega-yacht Phocea.

The mega yacht has been detained in Port Vila harbour since it was seized in July over an alleged smuggling and forgery operation.

Mr. Iauko says that he has taken legal advice from the Attorney General and the Prosecution that there is no longer a case in Court between the government and the owner of the Phocea.

However Vanuatu’s director of Ports and Marine, Morris Kaloran, says that Mr. Yauko has no power to release the Phocea and that he has never been consulted by the office of the Attorney General to release it.

The director says that the Phocea’s arrival in Vanuatu breached International Maritime laws and Vanuatu should bring back the claimed owner,...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 5, 2012) – The Disaster Management council in Niue is seeking to include drought and fire-risk preparations into the National Disaster plan.

Niue is still on high fire alert after suffering months of drought, and people are still being asked to not light any unnecessary fires.

As a result the Disaster Management council has been looking into asking the government to implement a full fire ban on the island.

However the council head, Richard Hipa, says currently there is nothing formally in place for drought and fire disaster management.

"We have plans for cyclones, tsunami preparation, etc. but we don’t have the fire or drought situation in the disaster plan. So the drought will go hand in hand with fire watch, leading to a total fire...

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.